The Avoyelles Parish Litter Abatement Program is seeking the public’s assistance with identifying an individual who engaged in illegal dumping caught on camera (video available on the Program’s Facebook). This took place around Sookie Roy Road in Mansura. The Program is asking that anyone who recognizes the vehicle or the individual or who might have any information to reach out to them on Facebook.
The Louisiana Department of Health announced Friday that beginning May 26, state SNAP recipients will only be able to use their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards for purchases made within Louisiana and in ZIP codes adjacent to the state’s border.
Department officials said the policy change aims to protect benefits from fraud and out-of-state use while ensuring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dollars support Louisiana grocers, farmers, businesses and local communities.
EBT cardholders who shop at Louisiana stores and through approved online retailers will not be affected. Residents who regularly shop just across the state line in Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas will experience little to no disruption, as many of those border ZIP codes are included under the policy’s approved designation. Out-of-state purchases attempted outside of the approved areas will be blocked.
SNAP recipients who are traveling and need temporary access to make purchases outside of Louisiana can request a short-term exemption online at lifeincheckebt.com, by calling 888-524-3578, or by visiting a local department SNAP office.
Any temporary out-of-state access will automatically expire at the beginning of the following month, returning the card to the default setting.
For more information and a full list of approved border-area ZIP codes, residents can visit ldh.la.gov/page/electronic-benefits-transfer-ebt.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will conduct commercial alligator lottery harvests on 23 LDWF Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), 28 public lakes and one U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) property beginning on Aug. 26. Applications are now available and are due by June 15.
(Please note: This is the longstanding commercial alligator lottery harvest and not the recently adopted recreational alligator lottery, which will have a separate lottery application in the coming months.)
Commercial alligator lottery applications can be found on the LDWF lottery application webpage. To apply, click on the Lottery Applications tab, update or create customer details similar to purchasing a license and then submit the application. There is a $5 application fee and a $3.50 transaction fee.
Only one commercial alligator lottery application may be submitted per customer, but applicants can rank and submit up to three hunt area choices on their application. Applicants must be legal Louisiana residents and 16 years of age or older. If selected, you will be required to purchase an alligator hunter license ($25) and to submit payment of $40 for each alligator tag allocated.
To assist applicants in selecting specific WMAs/public lakes, LDWF has posted the percentage of commercial lottery alligator harvest applicants selected for their first choice in 2025 by WMA or public lake as well as a map showing the general location of each area and the appropriate area manager’s contact information on its website. Go to the 2026 Alligator Lottery Choices page to see this information.
For more information concerning commercial lottery alligator harvests on LDWF WMAs or public lakes, contact the appropriate LDWF Field Office or email LAalligatorprogram@wlf.la.gov.
The biggest, most star-studded and fun-filled party of every summer for miles around is coming your way in a month.
Three days of festivities are approaching beginning Thursday, June 25 through Saturday, June 27 for the 2026 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration in Natchitoches.
The LSHOF’s Class of 2026 will be enshrined Saturday night, June 27 at the Natchitoches Events Center to culminate the 67th Induction Celebration.
The Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, June 25, with the Welcome Reception from 5-7 p.m., free to the public at the Hall of Fame museum at 800 Front Street.
The Friday, June 26 schedule begins with the Celebrity Bowling Bash presented by BOM at Four Seasons Bowling Center in Alexandria. The 2026 Rockin’ River Fest, a free concert on the downtown riverbank stage, begins at 6 p.m. and runs until 10:30. In conjunction with the Rockin’ River Fest is the VIP Taste of Tailgating party, a ticketed indoor-outdoor event.
The slate on Saturday, June 27 kicks off with the free LSHOF Junior Training Camp led by community relations personnel from the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, along with Northwestern State coaches and this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, on the NSU campus at the Webb Wellness and Recreation Center and Turpin Stadium. This event is presented by Natchitoches Regional Medical Center and is nearing capacity. Free registration for kids ages 7-16 is required and can be easily accomplished at LaSportsHall.com.
At noon Saturday, the Round Table Luncheon presented by the Tiger Athletic Foundation is set for Riverside Reserve on Mill Street. Fox Sports broadcaster Tim Brando emcees an entertaining program.
Festivities culminate Saturday evening with the Induction Reception at the LSHOF museum beginning at 5, followed at 7 by the Induction Ceremony at the Natchitoches Events Center. Northwestern State University and State Farm Agents of Louisiana are presenting sponsors Saturday evening.
The VIP Taste of Tailgating, the Bowling Bash, the Round Table Luncheon and the Induction Reception and Ceremony are ticketed events requiring purchase in advance through LaSportsHall.com or by calling 318-238-4255.
The Thursday reception, the Friday evening River Fest and the Junior Training Camp are free.
The Class of ‘26 is headlined by a star-studded group: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2025 inductee Sylvia Fowles, NFL stars Joe Horn, Todd McClure and Pat Williams, Major League Baseball All-Star Jonathan Lucroy and legendary basketball coaches John Brady, Mike McConathy and Dewain Strother.
Alexandria native and LSU baseball hero Warren Morris will receive the Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award, earning enshrinement into the LSHOF. His walk-off home run won the 1996 College World Series for LSU and resulted in the Bolton High School product becoming a lifelong spokesman for college baseball, the CWS and LSU.
LSU graduate and New Orleans native Gil LeBreton and multi-faceted Shreveporter John James Marshall are going into the Hall as the 2026 winners of the LSWA’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. Former Tioga girls basketball coach and nationally-acclaimed high school sports administrator Kathy Holloway is being inducted as the recipient of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award.
The Induction Celebration will be hosted by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame. The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors.
For information on sponsorship opportunities and other participation, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040 or RonnieRantz@LaSportsHall.com, or Greg Burke, Director of Business Development and Public Relations, at 318-663-5459 or GregBurke@LaSportsHall.com via email.
Nothing is harder to swallow than when a younger athlete comes along and replaces the older, more experienced player. Egos are shattered and feelings are sometimes hurt. No athlete likes to be put out to pasture. But in today’s bass fishing universe, that’s exactly what’s happening.
To say the young guns of bass fishing have arrived would be an understatement! No matter what sport you play, there comes a day when someone wants to take your spot. They respect you because of your experience and time you’ve given to the game, but they are the ones pushing you out of the sport you love.
Today, a younger generation is making its mark on the sport of tournament bass fishing by utterly dominating tournaments with catches that no one has ever seen before. This past month a young buck, Andrew Rickman, 24 years old from Canton, Texas, made his presence felt by catching a record setting B.A.S.S. Nation record of 95 pounds,15 ounces over a three-day period.
Now to some this may not resonate, especially if you’re not familiar with tournament bass fishing. But what this young man did is nothing short of incredible! Maybe this will help you understand; he caught 15 bass over the three days and averaged over 6 pounds per fish — something that has never been done before in tournament competition.
What makes this more amazing is the fact that he had never seen, let alone fished Toledo Bend in his entire life! Most anglers could add up three years of tournament catches and not even come close to 95 pounds of bass. This kid did it in three days with zero experience on the lake!
It’s just another testament to how good so many of these young anglers are. They are doing things and catching fish in ways the older generation of anglers have never dreamed about.
One thing that is very noticeable about the young anglers of today; they spend a tremendous amount of time on the water learning new techniques and studying their electronic units like Forward-Facing Sonar so they can get better.
So many of these young anglers (due to forward-facing sonar) have been unfairly labeled as “scopers only.” But it’s a little unfair to put a blanket label over all of them because so many have been raised with old-school techniques and can catch bass with or without Forward Facing Sonar.
To put a bow on this topic, if changes or FFS restrictions are not made with regards to bass tournaments, I highly suggest that the older anglers spend more time on the water learning how to use FFS during the off season and spend less time in the deer stand if they want to be competitive with the young guns that are on the rise in the bass tournament world.
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com
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A routine evening took an unexpected turn this week when a smart home voice assistant reportedly refused to turn off the lights until the homeowner successfully pronounced “Wi-Fi router reset protocol version 3.2-B” without stumbling.
Witnesses say the frustrated homeowner made multiple failed attempts before finally surrendering and going to bed under fully illuminated conditions. The voice assistant, meanwhile, allegedly responded with repeated reminders to “please try again clearly.”
Technology experts say the fictional scenario highlights the growing love-hate relationship many people have with smart devices, especially when simple tasks suddenly become far more complicated than flipping a switch.
I’m about to tell you something no preacher has ever told you. You may want to sit down. You may want to brace yourself. You may want to alert the denominational office, because if this leaks out, it could change the face of Christianity as we know it.
Ready?
It is holy, righteous, and perfectly acceptable for you to say “No.”
Not “no” to sin—we already know that one. I’m talking about a radical, countercultural, spiritually liberating “no” to good things. To church things. To “we’vealwaysdoneitthisway” things. To “we need a warm body on this committee” things.
You no longer have to say, “Let me pray about it,” when you already know the Holy Spirit is whispering, “Child… absolutely not.”
You have permission—pastoral, biblical, Christcentered permission—to use the word “no” freely, joyfully, and without guilt.
We live in a culture that treats “no” like a fourletter word. We’re so polite, so conflictavoidant, so eager to be liked, that we twist ourselves into pretzels trying to find “winwin” solutions.
Meanwhile, our souls are running on fumes.
Jesus Himself said “no” all the time. He said “no” to crowds who wanted Him to stay. “No” to disciples who wanted Him to skip the cross. “No” to temptations that promised shortcuts.
If the Son of God could say “no” without guilt, surely His followers can too.
This revelation hit me while changing the air filters at the house. We have two units, which means two filters, which means two opportunities for sanctification.
I went to the discount store, the only place in Ruston that carries my size—and brought home the filters. When I unwrapped them, I noticed something odd.
Let me pause here.
Why is everything wrapped in plastic? Who decided my air filter needed to be hermetically sealed like it was going on a space mission? Why is my chewing gum wrapped like it’s a national security threat?
Somewhere, a committee met, and not one brave soul stood up and said, “No. Wrapping an air filter in plastic is dumb.”
Back to the filter.
Under the plastic was a sheet titled, “Getting to Know Your Filter.” I’m sorry… what? I don’t want a relationship with my filter. I don’t need to know its hopes, dreams, or how many microns it filters. If you’re out there reading airfilter biographies, I say this with love: get a hobby.
So I said “no.” I refused to “get to know my filter.” And it felt good.
“No” creates margin. “No” creates Sabbath. “No” creates space for the things Jesus actually calls you to do.
We are exhausted not because God has overburdened us, but because we have said “yes” to things He never asked us to carry.
When you say “no” to the unnecessary, you say “yes” to: peace, presence, prayer, people and purpose.
You say “yes” to following Jesus instead of following expectations.
The cross itself is God’s great “no” to everything that destroys us—and His great “yes” to everything that gives life.
When you say “no” in the right places, you’re not being selfish. You’re being faithful. You’re choosing the narrow way. You’re choosing Christ.
So hear this clearly, boldly, and with pastoral authority:
You are hereby empowered to say “no.” Not because you’re lazy. Not because you don’t care. But because your “yes” belongs to Jesus first.
And that, my friend, is the secret that might just set the church free.
If every disagreement turns into a critique of how you communicate, the real problem may be what you’re not resolving—here’s how to break the cycle and start working as a team.
See what Ida says
The Indianapolis 500, commonly called Indy 500, is a 500-mile automobile race which has become the largest single-day spectator sporting event in the world. Since its meager beginnings in 1909, people have flocked to the track in record numbers to watch the high-speed thrills. On May 30, 1941, George “Joie” Chitwood readied his cigar-shaped racecar, the Blue Crown Spark Plug Special, for the Indianapolis 500. During qualifying, Joie bounced around the track in his racecar and had a hard time keeping his foot on the accelerator. Out of necessity, Joie used a simple strap to fix the problem. The other drivers objected to the strap because they thought it was dangerous. The heads of the AAA Drivers Association agreed and refused to allow Joie to use the strap. They only relented when Joie promised to release the strap if he thought he was going to crash. Keep in mind that the cars traveled more than 100 miles per hour. Joie did not crash that day. He came in 14th place and won $620. (The first-place winner, Floyd Davis, received $29,200.) Joie believed that using the strap helped his performance in the 1941 Indy 500, but the other drivers remained skeptical.
For decades, the general public remained skeptical as well. Carmakers often adopt equipment designed for racing cars on their vehicles. In 1949, now defunct carmaker Nash Motors offered this strap on about 40,000 of their Airflyte and Ambassador models, but over 39,000 of them were removed by dealerships at the request of the owners. In 1955, Ford offered it as an option on their vehicles, but less than 2% of buyers chose the strap. In 1958, Saab became the first carmaker to include the strap as part of their standard equipment.
Although he had nothing to do with its invention, Joie Chitwood made history that day in May 1941 because he was the first driver to wear the strap in the Indy 500. Today, all race car drivers are required to wear one. It has also become a requirement in all automobiles. At that time, the common misperception was that people were safer in a car accident if they were thrown from the wreck rather than behind held inside the vehicle. They called the strap safety belts, but we know this strap as the seat belt.
Sources:
1. Robert Tate, “The 1949 Nash was an Entirely New Postwar Design,” MotorCities National Heritage Area, October 1, 2025, accessed May 17, 2026, https://www.motorcities.org/story-of-the-week/2025/the-1949-nash-was-an-entirely-new-postwar-design.
2. “1941 Indianapolis 500 Race Results,” Indianapolis 500 Race Day Stats, accessed May 17, 2026, https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500/history/historical-stats/race-stats/race-results/1941.
3. “Joie Chitwood (SR.),” National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, accessed May 17, 2026, https://web.archive.org/web/20190619150409/https://www.sprintcarhof.com/helper_pages/FileGet.aspx?id=186.
